Water-treating apparatus



Feb. 18; 1930. DUDEN 1,747,470

WATER TREATING APPARATUS Filed March 29, 1927 2 She'Qt5-Sh9e1. 1

Feb. 18, 1930. E. G. DUDEN WATER TREATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 29, 1927 0 Url INVENTOR Patented Feb. is, 193a UNITE v EMIL G. DUDEN, OF OAKMONT, PFNN$YLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO M. 13. SGAIFE & SONS (10., A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA WATER-TREATING APPARATUS Application. filed March 29, 1927. serial'nb. 179,318.

This invention relates to water treating apparatus such, for example, as filters, softeners and the like.

Devices of this type generally include a Water treating chamber in the form of a steel shell or drum which is provided with a water manifold at the top and a second manifold at the bottom. Suitable water treating agents such as filtering material, water softening material or the like are placed in the chamber between the two manifolds so that water entering the chamber through one must pass through such material before entering the other and being conveyed'to a point of consumption. It has been customary to provide a cement filling or bottom within'the shell around and beneath the lower manifold for the purpose of supporting a load of treating material, which in the case of filters, for example, consists of heavy sand and gravel.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved construction of apparatus of the type set forth which will'eliminate the necessity for this heavy, cumbersome and expensive cement or similar filling.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the type set forth having a simplified construction which will be cheaper and simpler to manufacture and assemble than has heretofore been possible, without detracting from the rugged and enduring qualities of such mechanisms.

These and other objects whichwill be apparent to those skilled in this particular art are accomplished by means of the present invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse sectlonal view through the bottom only of a steel shell forming a water treating chamber'and illustrating one embodiment of' the present invention. Fig. 2- is a longitudinal sectional view along the line 22 of Fig.

-' 1 illustrating one lower end of the bottom of the water treating chamber, and Fig. 3 is a partial section of a treating chamber show- 1 ing the relative arrangement of the parts.

The particular embodiment of the present invention which has been chosen for the purposes of illustration includes a water manifold of underdrain which is adapted to be mounted directly on the bottom of the-shell and communicates directly with the adj acent port formed therein. In the case of a filter this manifold, underdrain'or box serves as a collecting strainer of filtered water and also as a distributing system for wash water in cleaning the water treating material as will be readily understood by those skilled in this art. The manifold is in the form of an inverted box or trough having a plurality of water passing openings formedtherein and the structure is secured directly to the bottom of the water treating shell from which it is spaced by supporting spacers so as to provide a continuous opening for the passage of water adjacent the material of the shell around the, entire length of the trough or box. The box is so formed as to provide not only a water manifold but also a load supporting structure for directly carrying the weight of the water treating material such'a s, for example, sand and gravel in the. case of filters. In order to obtain the greatest load carrying capacity from the materialused the structure is substantially arch shaped in cross section and the water treating material is placed in the shell directly over the arch shaped inverted trough.

The-illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with a. water treating chamber formed by a steel shell 5 of ordinary and well known construction having a port 6 through which a water pipe 7 extends. A manifold or water box 8 of inverted trough form having longitudinally extending flanges 9 formed along the side edges thereof is mounted upon spacers 10 along the bottom of the shell so as to provide a water passage 11 entirely around the water box between the side edges and ends 12 thereof and the adjacent shell. Rivets 13 may conveniently be used for securing the device in place.

The trough, manifold, or underdrain 8 is not only formed so as to cooperate with the wall of the shell to provide a water manifold but also constitutes a load supporting structure which is itself capable of carrying the load of water treating material placed within the shell, thus eliminating the necessity for a concrete filling or bottom as hitherto em-- ployed. As illustrated, this is accomplished by making the trough arch shape in cross section so as to obtain the greatest load'car- 'rying capacity from the material employed.

The structure has a plurality of rows of water passing openings or perforations -14 which, together with the water-passageway 11, provide a'collecting strainer offiltered 'water,.when the device is used as, a filter, and

a distributing system" for wash water or the like for cleaning'or otherwise treating the Y material within the chamber.

Anipple 15- is employed for connecting the water pipe? with the water box or maniffoldS; 'The archshaped cross section of the troughprovides 'a loa'd supporting structure capable of with- Y -,stanclingnthe load .of'wate'r treating material placed ins then chamber Without the necessity "offthecement filling'or bottom hitherto em- 'ploy ed with ordinary typesof' manifolds;

It isto be noted that the widestpart of :underdrain or water box 8' lies along a chord of lessclengththan the diameter of the tank. For this reason, the underdrain Ssu'pports only'that portion of thefilter'bed: (not shown) 7' V whichsisdirectly above the under-drain, and

the portions of the filter bed oneach side thereof are supported by the wall ofthe tank l or silt 'collectsior isdeposited atthetop layers .offthe" bed; ,7 Such deposits increase the -,re-

sistance to the flow of water throu'gh the filter bed and create a relatively high pressuredrop V-shape andconstruction of the under-drain8, "the wash "water will pass upwardly; through the bed and be uniformly distributedrthrough lthe entire area of the bed, This result. ob- -tains because that portion of-the beddire'ctsly above the under-drain 8 receives washbetween'the top oft-he filter' bed and the underdrain. In practice, the filter bed-is washed or" cleaned when this pressure reaches a value of about five pounds per square inch.

I 4 Thefilter bed maybe, washed bypassing water into *the under-drain and upwardly through the filter bed. By reason of the L water that zpasses tlirough the perforations 7 Although I- have' described what'I now 14 0f theunder-drain, while; the portions of t'he'bedon each side of the under drain re- ",ceive water that passes through the passage way/11. By the form of construction emwash-water may be effectively" employed, a factor that is conducive both to low operat ingLcost-and efficient and efl'ectivewashing 'of'thefilterrbed;

consider tobe the: preferred embodiment of 2 this ihv-en-tionit will be: apparent that vari-' ons-1. changes, additions, substitutions and omissions can bemade in the various details 'thereofcwithoutdeparting from the spirit a oft-he invention or. thescope of the appended claims. g I

What I claim as new and by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with the shell of a fluid treating chamber adapted to contain a bed of. treating material an arched fluid-passing, V

material-supportingstructure of less area than the bed of material, means for securing I said arched structure tosaid shell in spaced relation thereto so as to provide a slot for the passage/of fluid between said shell and the' bottom ofsaid structure, and a fluid conveyingpipe commu'nicating5withlthe interior of said structure throughsaidshell'; said slot ex{ tending entirely around the lower edge of said arched structure;

2. The combination with the adaptedito contain a b'eclv of water treating substantially cylindrical shell of a fluid treating chamber material, an'elongated arched fluid-passing,

-material. supporting structure of less area than'the bed of materialasupported thereby and extending longitudinally: along the bot- [tom of. said shell, means for securing. the: lon-r 'gitudinal edges of said arched'structureto said'shellin spaced-relation theretoso as to "provide'a slot-for the passage of fluidbetween said shell and said edges, end closures "for said structure locatedaway frornthe adjacent towa'lls of the shell'having their lower edges 10-- catediinspaced relation'toi'the bottom of said V I ing withthe interior'of said structure through i shelland-a fluid conveying "pipe communicatoneof; sa'idend-cl'osures; 2 V r V 3-. vThe combination in'filtering apparatus, of'a tank circular in cross section, an inverted perforated trough substantially arc-shaped in section within the tank: and. extending"; along the bottom thereof, tendingoutwardly fi'om" the sides of said 'trough, and means for spacing said flanges [fromthebottom'ofthe tank to provide water" I'passag'ewaysbetween said. flangesand thebo'ttom of the tank; the widestzportionpfsaid to provide water passageways?between-[the bOX flanges: and tank bottomir lateral flanges .eX-

-trouglif lyingf :along a, chord' of less length zthan the diameter of said tanlr: i 4-; The combination-in filtering apparatus, ofaxtank, a perforated water'box" located LVithlll' the ta'nkand extending along th'ebot i tom thereof; said boxbein'ginverted with ref- ,erenceitO the tank bottom and-of arc shapein Isection; saidybox having outward-lyextend, ingi side'flanges iloc'atedadjacent the bottom 7 ployed" in the under-drain 8, low velocity .x-df-the"tankg'ajnd'means :forsupporting said c flanges inspa'ced relation to :the tank bot'tom 5-.v The :com-binationin filtering apparatus,v of: a tank and an" underdraini for "said? tank -comprising a water box arG-sha/pe'dinsection -V and-yopen-on; oneside; said. box being; posi-. tionedWith -in the tankwithits'openzside iadjtik cent the tank bottom; said box adjacent its open side being provided with outwardly extending lateral flanges, and means for spacing said flanges from the tank bottom so as to pro- 1 vide water passageways between said flanges and the tank bottom.

6. In combination, a tank adapted to contain a filter bed, an under-drain for said filter bed comprising an inverted perforated trough substantially arc-shaped in section located within the tank and disposed along the median line of the tank bottom, outwardly extending lateral flanges along the sides of said trough, and means for supporting the trough in spaced relation to the bottom of the tank whereby water passageways are provided between said flanges and the tank bot-- tom.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 11th day of March, 1927.

EMIL G. DUDEN. 

